Art of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks



F. W. HOBAN Aug. 28, 1934.

ART OF DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN GENUINE AND SPURIOUS CHECKS 2 Sheets-Sheet Fil'ed April 8, 1953 Aug. 28, 1934. F. w, HOBAN 1,971,524

ART OF DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN GENUINE AND SPURIOUS CHECKS Filed April 8, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 all 7/11/1012,. P I

INVENTOR Fair/teld W Hoba n ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1934 r ART OF DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN GENUINE AND SPURIOUS CHECKS Fairfield W. Hoban, New York, N. Y., assignor to Fairfield Specialties Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 7 Application April 8, 1933, Serial No. 665,066 18 Claims. (194101) My invention relates to improvements in means Fig. 4 is a section thereof on the line 4-4 of and methods for testing coins, tokens or like de- Fig. 3; vices, (which I term herein as checks) for gen- Fig. 5 is a section thereof on the line 55 of uineness, and for retaining or accepting the gen- Fig. 1; and

\ 5 nine checks and refusing or rejecting the spurious Fig. 6 is a section thereof on the line 6-6 of orcounterfeit ones. Fig. 5.

An object of the invention is to distinguish be- The present invention is particularly directed tween nickel alloy coins, such as the U. S. five to the elimination or rejection of slugs or spurious cent piece and all counterfeits thereof universally. checks intended to be fraudulently used in vend-' Another object of the invention is to effect the ing machines or other cheek controlled apparaseparation of genuine from spurious checks of the tus, as a substitute for the genuine five cent piece character specified by utilizing differences in their compo d of nickel y, the ted S ates 00111 responsiveness to the action of a fluctuating mag consisting of 75% copper and 25% nickel. n ti field, A fluctuating magnetic field or fields as dis- 5 Another object of the invention is to make prol d, for eXample, in y application Serial No. vision for directing checks substantially immune 517,222, fi d February 1931 is being utilized to eddy current effe t out of the path of th genfor effecting the separation of the silver coin from nine through the fluctuating field. spurious checks of all kinds, whether of greater Another object of the invention is to render or less responsiveness to eddy current effect than 3 0 the use of a fluctuating magnetic field highly ef the genuine. T0 render this principle available fective in repelling checks of low responsiveness f use in the present invention, q d Considto eddy current eifect. erable thought, experimentation and readjust- Another object of the invention is to eliminate m nt directed to t v pme f a magnetic certain checks immune to eddy current effect from circuit and field g p allowing the a i y i ert others by utilizing differences in the resiliency nickel to p therethreugh While repelling spurithereof. ous checks of greater responsiveness. The re- Another object of the invention is to utilize sponsiveness, of the nickel coin is considerably less differences in weight for eliminating certain than that of the silver coin, and because of this checks immune to eddy current effect and incapait. is necessary to provide. a field having a f ux ble of being eliminated by diiferences in resilinsity substantially greater n h quired 5 ency v for the silver coin in order to repel slugs of slight- Another object of the invention isto effect the Ir. r a responsiveness to y r nt effect elimination of magnetic checks held in the mag than the nickel but of considerably ss resp m w; field v siveness than silver. To render my apparatus of 35 Another object f the invention to effect practical size, and effective in repelling even the 90, the separation of the genuine from the variou least responsive of the various slugs entering the spurious checks by the combined use of various I provlde a magnetlc E having a Crossrinciples a imple emcient and reliable man Sectlon Concentrating the principal pOI'tlOn Of the net magnetic flux on the medial portion of the check,

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part reacting on a greater mass of metal and make be pointed out hereinaften provision for reducing the momentum of the check To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and asmuclftas posslble upon the Same entermg the ends, my invention consists of the novel features n field: of construction, and in the combination, connec- .3 3 i ogthe zi g ig fi i g i provi e a agne 1c gap c arac eris ics ggi gfi figfig figm g gzii gg i gg i3 above described, I make provisionfor preventing d and then oined out in the claims checks of the same or less responsiveness to eddy 68cm current effect than the genuine nickel from enthe acfiompanymg tering the magnetic field. For this purpose, I 50 Flgul'e 1 15 an end of one form of "3 provide an impact member having an inclined .05 pariitus cqnstructed accordmg to and embodymg surface directed towards the magnetic field or my Invention; gap. Certain of the checks strike this impact 2 i821 Side elevation thereef; means so as to rebound towards the magnetic Fig. 3'is a section thereof on the line 3-3 of field. Checks lacking the required resiliency fail Fig. 1; i 1 i to reach the magnetic field and drop into a re- 10 turn chute, and checks having the required resiliency enter the field to be repelled therefrom if spurious, and to pass therethrough if genuine. The impact member serves primarily for preventing lead slugs because of the low resiliency thereof from passing into the magnetic field. Lead is inert to the fluctuating field and would pass therethrough like a good nickel.

Certain light weight slugs immune to eddy current effect, such as thus composed of non-metallic substances, for example, slugs of glass, fiber and the like, which may have sufficient resiliency to rebound into the field and pass therethrough, are deflected away from the impact member by a deflector capable of yielding upon impact therewith of checks of the Weight of the nickel or of greater weight. The relation of the impact member to the magnetic gap is such that all checks having the required resiliency rebounding from the anvil must enter, and be subject to the magnetic field. As such checks approach the field the effect thereof initially reduces the momentum of the check and causes the same to drop on a ledge to be supported thereby until the concentrated portion of the field is entered, the concentrated portion being effective in repelling even the most inert spurious checks back- Wardly into the return outlet for the lead and light weight slugs, the good nickel only passing through the field upon the ledge immune to the action of the field. Magnetic slugs entering the magnetic field stick in the gap thereof and are swept back by a wiper into the return chute upon deenergization of the circuit, said wiper being controlled by the magnetic core forming the fluctuating gap. The circuit of the electromagnet producing the magnetic field is preferably controlled by a check controlled timing switch such as disclosed in my application Serial No. 640,495, filed October 31, 1932.

The magnetic field is of such strength as to readily repel the more responsive slugs such as those composed of copper and aluminum, and this may be efiected immediately before the slug even reaches the concentrated portion of the field. The concentration in flux density on the advance medial portion of the checks is particularly efiective in repelling the least responsive checks, for example hard brass, after retardation of the momentum thereof by the less dense portion of the field, and while the check is being supported.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus for carrying out the preferred method comprises a support or bracket 10 having plates or panels 12 and 14, preferably composed of a suitable metal, carried thereby in a vertical position andsecured together in spaced relation with the metallic separators 16, 13 and 20 (Fig. 3) therebetween, the separators being arranged to form between the panels a vertical chute 22 and a lateral chute 24, the chute 24 having an entrance 26 from the chute 22. The entrance portion 28 for the coin or check is formed between the separated opposing vertical edges of the separators 16 and 18. The lower portion 30 of the chute 22 is formed in part by the lower portion of the separator 26 and in part by the inner edge 32 of an'anvil or impact member 34, the checks passing into the lower portion of the chute passing out through a lateral slot 36.

The chute 24 is formed in part by the horizontal portion of the separator 16 and in part by the horizontal portion of the separator 20, the inner edge 38 of the separator 20inclining slightly down- Wardly from the entrance 26, the good checks 24 passing out at 40.

The anvil member 34 is relatively massive, extending outwardly past one wall of the chute as shown at Fig. 4. The member 34 has an upper edge or impact surface 42 inclined downwardly and extending inwardly beyond the projection of the inner vertical edge of the separator 18.

A deflector 44 is pivoted at 46 at point between the separator 18 and anvil 34, and comprises a finger 48 projecting inwardly into the path of checks passing into the chute at 28, and a weighted portion 50 normally keeping the finger 48 in a horizontal position. The weight 50 for example, is such that light weight checks, such as those composed of fiber, bakelite, glass or the like, are deflected by finger 48 to pass into the chute portion 30 without striking the anvil 42. Heavier checks or coins engaging the finger 48 cause yielding movement of the deflector out of the way to allow such checks to readily strike the anvil at 42 to rebound therefrom into the entrance 26 if of the required resiliency, or into the chute portion 30, if lacking in resiliency.

Checks entering the chute portion 24 are subjected to the action of a fluctuating magnetic field produced by an electromagnetic system supplied with alternating current, indicated generally at 52. This system comprises a coil 54 disposed in a recess between the angularly arranged chute portions 24 and 30, and having a laminated silicon core 56, the laminations being arranged at a slight inclination from the horizontal and projecting beyond the ends of the coil 54. Laminated silicon core portions 58 are disposed vertically upon the projecting ends of the core 56, the laminations extending transversely of the core 56 with the lower edges thereof engaging the core 56. the laminated silicon core portions 60, abutting the inner edges of the core portions 58 and extending inwardly at opposite sides of the chute portion 24, the laminations of the portions 60 being disposed at right angles to the laminations of the core portions 58. The parts of the core portions 60 projecting inwardly beyond the core portions 58 are tapered at the lower edges thereof, as indicated at 62, Fig. l, and the inner ends 64 are of reduced cross-section and terminate in openings in the panels 12 and 14 to form a snagnetic gap 66. The ends 6% iormingthe magnetic gap are rectangular in shape, having an area less than that of the five cent piece or nickel with the major dimension extending at a slight inclination in the direction of the path of travel of the check through the gap 66. The gap located slightly above the inner end of the edge 38 substantially at the entrance 26 in such position that checks rebounding from the anvil 42 will be supported in the gap 66 on the edge 38 in such position that the medial portion of the check, and hence a maximum portion of the metal thereof, will be subjected to the magnetic flux. The provision of the magnetic circuit 56-58-60, composed of The magnetic circuit is completed through a substantial mass of metal, enables the development of a magnetic flux at the gap 66 of sufficient density to effectuate the purpose of the invention Without resorting to large coils 54 unduly increasing the size of the apparatus.

The magnetic flux or current-readily circulates the core portions 56 and 58 because the flux passes lengthwise through the laminations thereof. The magnetic flux in passing into the. core portions 60 must pass traversely through the laminations a of the latter, and the passage thereof isresisted by thesuccessive laminations. It therefore follows that the flux density across the gap'60 is greatest at the end 68 atthe laminations closest to the portions 58 and decreases as the laminations become more remote. By reducing the mass of metal at the ends 64 of theportions by tapering at 62, I am able to concentrate the maximum lines of force across the gap 66 Within an area substantially less than that of the coin or check area, and this concentration is principally at the end 68 of the gap because of the arrangement of laminations above described.

The intensity or strength of the magnetic field at the gap 66 is determined by the amount of iron present in the-core portions at the opposite sides of the gap, the area of the core ends, and the width or" the gap. The field at the gap 66 is adjusted so that the number of lines of force traversing the gap is such as to repel, as hereinafter described, checks of greater responsiveness to eddy current effect than the nickelcoin, such for instance as hard brass slugs, while allowing the passage of the nickel or five cent piece.

The magnetic core at the gap 66 is saturated at the lowest voltage in the line so that fluctuations or increases in line voltage will not cause variation in the field intensity.

I also provide means 70 for the elimination of magnetic slugs, such as iron. Iron slugs entering the magnetic gap 66 are held therein magnetically. I therefore provide a pivoted wiper'arm 7 2 located in the chute 24 above the gap 66 at the discharge end thereof and adapted to move through the gap 66, upon the deenergization of the circuit of the coil 54, to sweep the slug out into the return passage 30. The wiper 72 also serves as a stop toprevent the passage of checks through the upper portion of the chute 24 without entering themagnetic gap. The wiper 72 is operated magnetically by a portion of the magnetic circuit of the coil 54, preferably'a portion 60 thereof. For this purpose the arm '72 is secured at one end to a pinion '74 mounted in suitable bearings above one of the core portions 60 and meshing with a vertical rack 76, said rack sliding in a suitable guide 78 on the frame work, and being retained therein by the pinion 74. The rack 76 at opposite sides of the guide 78 has secured thereto laminated armatures 80 adapted to be attracted by acore portion 60. When the coil 54 is energized the armatures 80 move into engagement with the core portion 60 to raise the wiper 72 out of the gap. When the coil 54 is deenergized, the .armatures 80 are elevated by spring 82 to swing the wiper 72 through thegap.

The parts shown in the drawings are adapted to be suitably enclosed with provision of a slit of a size for allowingthe insertion of a five cent piece.

In operation, the checks passing through passage 28 strike the arm 48. If the check is of a light weight non-metalliccomposition, liable to rebound from the. anvil 42 and pass out through 40 immune to the fluctuating gap like a good check, it is deflected away from. the anvil and passes out through the return outlet 36. If the check hassufiicient weight to depress the arm 48,

the check strikes the anvil and rebounds into the entrance 26, if of the required resiliency, other less resilient checks, like lead, dropping into the chute 30 for passage through the return outlet 36..

Thefluctuating gap 66, together with the stray 'magneticfield in the vicinity thereof constitutes a fluctuating magnetic barrier to metallic checks entering the same. The more responsive checks or slugs like those of copper and aluminum being instantly repelled by such field back into the chute 30 to be returned. In the present invention all spurious checks rebounding into the fluctuating field are repelled, some more slowly than others, and returned into the chute 30. In the case of the more inert slugs, the momentum thereof is retarded at first by the stray field and by the less dense field at the entrance portion of the gap 66. By the time the slug reaches the concentrated field at 68, the weight thereof is supported on the ledge 38, and the reaction of such concentrated field effective on the medial advance portion of the check or slug is suflicient to repel the same back into chute 30 to be returned. Only the good coin passes the field rolling on ledge 38 through the outlet 40 into a suitable receptacle or for operating check controlled apparatus. Magnetic slugs lodging in the gap 66 are swept out by wiper '72, when the apparatus is deenergized, into passage 30 to be returned.

In myinvention, the elimination of spurious checks is accomplished within a limited space without undue complexity in the number of tests imposed, and without requiring a complicated arrangement of moving parts. The invention is universal in its application and adaptability for refusing or eliminating slugs of all known metals, alloys and slugs of glass, fiber and the like. The apparatus is positive in operation without requiring critical adjustment and successfully operates under adverse conditions, such as under vibration, etc.

In my method, I first remove by simple means slugs which are of the same or greater inertness to eddy current effect than the nickel coin, and then effect the removal of all slugs of greater responsiveness to eddy current than the nickel coin by means of a fluctuating magnetic field of an intensity suificiently low to pass the nickel coin but sufiiciently high to repel into the slug chute the other checks or slugs.

I effect the first elimination by utilizing the 120 bouncing principle for elimination of lead slugs and prevent by a simple expedient inert nonmetallic slugs, which are of light weight from striking the anvil and bouncing through the field like a good coin. The anvil and field are so coordinated that spurious checks bouncing from the anvil enter the field so as to be repelled into the slug chute while the genuine coin passes through the field.

I do not depend in the present invention on differences in resiliency of the checks which reach the fluctuating field for effecting their elimination by the field, the field being effective in repelling all spurious checks irrespective of their resiliency. I do provide however a highly concentrated fluctuating field effective on the medial advance portion of the check for repelling the same, and include provision for retarding the check and/or supporting the weight thereof so that even the least responsive of the spurious checks are repelled. 7

,Having thus described. my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in passing certain of the various checks into a fluctuating magnetic field of such strength as to repel spurious checks of greater responsiveness thereto than the genuinenickel alloy coin while allowing the genuine coin to pass there- 1,59

through, and preventing spurious checks relatively immune to said field from passing thereinto.

2. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in passing checks into a fluctuating magnetic field concentrated to be eifective upon the forward medial portion of the check at opposite sides, the flux density applied to the check being such as to repel checks having a greater responsiveness thereto than a genuine nickel alloy coin while allowing the genuine coin to pass therethrough.

3. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in passing checks into a fluctuating magnetic field concentrated within an area less than the area of the check and eiiective upon the medial portion of the check at opposite sides, the flux density applied to the check being such as to repel checks having a greater responsiveness thereto than a genuine nickel alloy coin while allowing the genuine coin to pass therethrough.

4. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in passing checks into a fluctuating magnetic field concentrated to be effective at opposite sides of the check, the fiux density of said field increasing in the direction of travel of the check, and being such as to efiect an initial retarding action on the check and then repel checks having greater responsiveness thereto than the genuine nickel alloy coin while allowing the genuine coin to pass therethrough.

5. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in passing checks into a fluctuating magnetic field effective at opposite sides of the check while supported on edge to repel checks having a greater responsiveness thereto than the genuine nickel alloy coin and to allow the genuine coin to pass therethrough.

6. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in passing checks into a concentrated fluctuating magnetic field increasing in density in the direction of travel of the check to be effective at opposite sides of the check for initially retarding the same, the denser portion of the field reacting on the medial portion of. the check while supported on edge, and being such as to repel checks therein having a greater responsiveness to the field than a genuine nickel alloy coin and to allow the passa e of the genuine coin therethrough.

7. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in causing checks to strike an impact surface to rebound therefrom in accordance with the resiliency of the checks, the more resilient checksrebounding into a'iluctuating magnetic field such as to repel checks more responsive thereto than the genuine back into the path or the less resilient checks, and to allow the passage of the genuine therethrough.

8. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in distinguishing between checks by causing the same to rebound from an impact surface in accordance with the resiliency thereof and delivering less res lient checks into a spurious check path, deflecting light weight checks around said impact surface into the spurious check path for the less resilientchecks, and subjecting the more resilient checks rebounding from said impact surface to the action of a fluctuating magnetic field repelling checks more responsive thereto than the genuine coin into said spurious check path, and allowing passage of the genuine coin therethrough.

9. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in delivering checks in the direction of an impact surface and utilizing differences in the weight of the checks for bypassing light weight checks around the impact surface into a spurious check path, and causing the heavier checks to rebound from said impact surface in accordance with the resiliency of the checks, the less resilient checks passing into said spurious check path, and subjecting the more resilient checks to the action of a fluctuating magnetic fieldsuch as to cause the checks more responsive thereto than the genuine coin to be repelled into said spurious check path, and to allow passage of the genuine coin through the field.

10. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine and spurious checks which consists in delivering checks in the direction of an impact surface and utilizing differences in the weight of the checks for bypassing, because of the lightness thereof, resilient checks immune to eddy current effect away from said impact surface for delivery into one path, and causing the heavier checks to rebound from said impact surface to deliver less resilient checks immune to eddy current effect into the path of the light weight checks, and subjecting the more resilient checks rebounding from said impact surface to the action of a fluctuating magnetic field such as to repel checks more responsive thereto than the genuine coin into said path for the light weight checks, and to allow passage of the genuine coin therethrough.

11. Apparatus of the character described comprising a fluctuating current electromagnetic means having core portions forming a gap traversed by a fluctuating magnetic field, said field being such as to repel checks more responsive thereto than a genuine nickel alloy coin and to allow the passage of the genuine coin therethrough, and means for delivering checks into said field including an outlet passage for the checks repelled by said field, and means for delivering into said outlet passage spurious checks immune to the action of the field.

12. Apparatus of the character described comprising a fluctuating current electromagnetic means having separated core portion forming a gap traversed by a fluctuating magnetic field, said core portions producing a magnetic flux of high concentration effective on the medial portion of the check to be subjected thereto, and being saturated at a low voltage in the line, the flux density being such as to repel checks having a responsiveness thereto greater than the genuine nickel alloy coin, and to pass the coin, and means for delivering checks into said gap including an outlet passage for checks repelled by said field, and means for directing into said outlet passage spurious checks immune to the action of said field.

13. Apparatus of the character described comprising an impact means, means for delivering checks to said impact means including an outlet passage for checks of low resiliency rebounding from said impact means, and an outlet passage having fluctuating current electromagnetic means therein forming a magnetic gap in the path of the more resilient checks rebounding from said impact means, said gap having a magnetic flux density such as to repel spurious checks into said first outlet, and to pass the genuine coin.

14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 including a yieldable member in the check delivering means above the impact means for deflecting light weight checks away from said impact means into the first outlet.

15. Apparatus of the character described comprising a fluctuating current electromagnetic means including separated core portions forming an elongated gap traversed by a fluctuating magnetic field, the magnetic flux across said gap being denser at one end thereof than the other, means for delivering checks into said gap at the end thereof of lesser magnetic density, and means for the passage of checks repelled by said gap and for checks passing therethrough.

16. Apparatus of the character described comprising a fluctuating current electromagnetic means including a coil and a laminated magnetic circuit terminating in separated portions forming therebetween a fluctuating magnetic gap, the laminations of said terminal portions being disposed in overlapping relation to the edges of and substantially at right angles to the laminations of the contiguous portions of the magnetic circuit for concentrating the magnetic flux across the gap at the inner laminations thereof, means for delivering checks to said gap, and means for the passage of checks repelled by said gap, and for checks passing therethrough.

17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 in which the cross sectional area of the core portions at the gap are reduced relative to the area of the checks, and means are provided for supporting the check on edge in such relation to the gap that the magnetic flux is effective on the medial portion of the check.

18. Apparatus of the character described comprising fluctuating current electromagnetic means including core portions forming a fluctuating magnetic gap, said gap having a flux density such as to repel certain checks and to pass others, means for delivering checks to said gap including an outlet and means for directing to said outlet checks relatively immune to the action of said gap, said outlet also receiving checks repelled by said gap, and a wiper controlled magnetically by a core portion for sweeping magnetic checks held in said gap into said outlet upon deenergization of the electromagnetic means.

FAIRFIELD W. HOBAN. 

